How to Stop Your Hair Colour Fading: A Comprehensive Guide
- Chris Dawson
- Nov 15, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 15
Keeping the Colour Alive: Easy Maintainance for Hair Colour Vibrancy, Condition and Shine
Hair colouring can completely transform your look, allowing you to express your unique style in myriad ways. With the diverse range of techniques and options for permanent hair colour, you can readily enliven your existing hair shades with a gloss that boosts shine in just 10 minutes. You might contour your face with hues that flatter your features or introduce an illusion of volume and texture with nuanced highlights. The transformative power of hair colouring can indeed be a swift pick-me-up, enhancing your self-confidence manifold. But equally significant is maintaining that fresh-from-the-salon vibrancy and softness of coloured hair.
Leveraging the expert insights of Dawson Hair & Imaging and Wella Professionals, this all-encompassing guide navigates you through the colour treatment process. It offers handy hair-care tips and showcases top-tier salon-exclusive products you can utilise at home. The aim is to ensure your tresses stay robust, healthy, and radiant while the colour retains its brilliance and lustre. So, fasten your seatbelts and join us on this vivid journey across the spectrum!
Understanding the Colouring Process
The first step in maintaining dyed hair is understanding the colour treatment process. When hair is dyed, peroxide causes the cuticle layer to open, allowing the colour molecules to penetrate the hair shaft. This change in the hair's chemical state means that once coloured, hair requires a different care routine than virgin hair with permanent hair colour.
Before Your Hair Appointment
Prepare your hair before a colour service appointment; it's essential to prep your hair a few days before the appointment. Use a clarifying shampoo like the INVIGO Aqua Pure Purifying Shampoo to remove any residue and product build-up, then use a pre-colour treatment for coloured hair to fill in your hair's porous, dryer areas. Color Service by Wella Professionals is a brilliant all-rounder when it comes to colour service; used professionally as a post-colour treatment to lock in colour, it acts by filling the pores in your hair shaft but can also be used at home as a great way to prep your hair before your colour service. Doing this will help reduce compromising the condition of the hair when lifting and establish an even canvas to deposit colour and tone with more even results throughout.
In-Salon Colour Care
Dawson Hair & Imaging offers an exceptional hair care service for coloured hair, K18. This premium colour service enhances your hair colour and extends its longevity. It improves your hair's vibrancy and resilience while strengthening it internally and protecting it from damage. After lightening the hair, it's common for the dyed hair to drop colour faster due to the cuticles of the hair strand being left more open than a tint would. Therefore, an express glossing service or a 10-minute top-up toner and blow-dry is an excellent option around two weeks after a lightning service once the hair shaft cuticles have settled and can better hold onto a toner or colour treatment.
Post-Colour Care
The perks of Colour Motion+ extend beyond your salon experience through our at-home care range for colour-treated tresses. This includes the Colour Motion+ shampoo, conditioner, and mask that work together and rebuild broken bonds from the inside, allowing you to enjoy the in-salon treatments at home. A highly recommended alternative, Post-Colour Service from Wella Professionals' is from the Pro Care Collection and is now available in retail in a convenient 250ml bottle. This is a revolution for dyed hair that you can utilise to prepare your locks before and after your salon appointment by using a quick 3 to 5-minute treatment, which can be alongside your favourite conditioner or mask. It works by targeting the dry and porous sections of your hair; filling these pores results in a uniform colour result and improved colour longevity; as your hair is less porous, it holds less water, resulting in reduced blow drying time - just one of the added benefits to using this colour treatment!
The 72 hour Rule
Washing too soon? You're literally rinsing your money down the drain! Premature shampooing disrupts the setting process, leaving you with dull, lifeless colour that lacks the vibrancy you paid for. Trust the professionals—patience truly pays off when it comes to maintaining that salon-fresh finish!
Always wait 48-72 hours before washing your hair, after you have your hair coloured.
Those extra days of patience will reward you with weeks of head-turning, vibrant colour that's worth every moment of the wait!Top tip: Wait 48-72 hours before washing your hair, after you have your hair coloured. This waiting period allows the colour to set, thus enhancing its longevity (Washing your hair too soon can cause the colour to rinse off prematurely, making it look dull and lifeless.)
About Water and Hair Colour
Water alone, ironically, can affect dyed hair colour vibrancy. This is particularly applicable to those with vibrant colours like vivid reds. Each time we shampoo, the water swells the hair shaft, allowing the colour to escape, thus leading to colour fading. Additionally, water contains impurities and minerals that can build up on the hair, creating a film that dulls the colour and makes it look less vibrant. The trick is to shampoo as infrequently as possible, utilise a quality dry shampoo for the days between, and set a quality dry shampoo with the help of colour service.
Top Tip: Keep the water temperature low. Hot water opens the hair cuticle, causing the colour to wash off. Using lukewarm water for shampooing your hair and cool or cold water for rinsing can help maintain your vibrant hair colour.
While a hot shower might be tempting, it can further cause your colour to fade.
Use Dry Shampoo
The less you get your hair wet the less your colour fades so try to get n extra few days in with a good dry shampoo. EIMI's Dry Me comes highy recomended and is known for being excellent at counteracting the anti-styling effects of grease and dirt. is a good quality dry shampoo on non-wash days to maintain dyed hair colour vibrancy. Its a good dry shampoo for not leaving any white/ chalky residue and its great for creating volume and leaving manageable matte texture. It contains tapioca starch, which refreshes your hair and absorbs oil, cleansing the hair without drying it out, making it an effective way to maintain pigment without frequently exposing it to water.
Use Recommended Aftercare Products
Shampoos: K18
Wella Professionals
The Color Brilliance family is a great option to tailor your aftercare top to your hair type, with two possibilities comprising a Fine/ Normal or Course/ Thick option of the shampoo, conditioner and mask, allowing you to personalise your aftercare to
your needs. Popular with red heads and bruettes for maintaning colour vibrancy the Colour Brilliance Range is suitable for any hair types. If you have paticularly fine to hair, choose the corresponding Invigo Colour Brilliance version.
If you have particularly thick hair, opt for the coarse/thick formula of Colour Brilliance.
If you want maximum strength, protection, and shine—or have mixed needs (weak/fragile/damaged colour-treated hair)—Color Motion+ maybe a better option. The big focus is on overall hair health and strength: with WellaPlex Bonding Technology to reinforce hair bonds, antioxidants for free radical protection, and a formula for improved manageability and vibrancy. Especially beneficial for weak, sensitised, or frequently lightened/coloured hair that needs both protection and structural repair—so it’s an excellent all-in-one regime for anyone with colour-treated hair, regardless of thickness or texture. It is suitable across all hair types and especially good for those looking to repair and fortify their coloured hair while maintaining vibrancy.
Both lines are well-formulated for maintaining beautiful, long-lasting hair colour, but your hair’s texture and condition can guide you toward the best daily regime
Conditioners
Conditioner use, especially for coloured hair, is paramount in maintaining hair colour. Conditioners help keep your hair hydrated and nourished, locking in the
colour pigments for extended periods. Adding a bit of your dye to your conditioner can be a game-changer for those who love experimenting with bold and bright colours. This method allows a small amount of colour pigment to deposit into the hair cuticle every time you wash, keeping your colour vibrant and fabulous. To keep your hair looking vibrant and fabulous, nourishing the hair cuticle every time you wash is essential. Opt for a conditioner specifically for coloured hair—like the Wella Professionals INVIGO Color Recharge Conditioner. This incredible formula enhances your existing colour and deposits rich pigments onto your hair shaft, much like the beloved Color Fresh Masks. These masks are a fan favourite, acting as a two-in-one product that combines the benefits of semi-permanent dye with a rejuvenating treatment. Treat your hair to the colour it deserves, and watch it shine!
If you have sensitised, over-processed dyed hair, you may want to consider using a two-in-one cleanser such as Oil Reflections Cleansing Conditioner. This two-in-one conditioner will gently cleanse and condition your hair simultaneously, reducing the time it takes to experience too much friction that may cause it to break; it's also great on fine hair and hair that needs detangling.
Masks
Use a hair mask once weekly for your dyed hair. They're crucial to colour longevity and work wonders in maintaining your coloured hair. They provide deep conditioning, which helps keep the vibrancy of your dyed hair while nourishing and strengthening your hair strands. Consider using the Wella Professionals Color Motion+ Structure Mask for a more intensive treatment. It has a WellaPlex agent that helps repair broken hair bonds from within and promises up to eight weeks of colour vibrancy and shine with regular use.
For a colour boost, try the Color Fresh Mask. It is the perfect combination of temporary colour and complete care treatment, reviving and refreshing your hair's colour while keeping strands silky-smooth and moisturised.
Use Heat Defense
Extreme heat can damage your dyed hair and make your colour look dull. This is an absolute must for all hair, especially for coloured hair, when applying any heat. Always use a heat protectant spray; I highly recommend Thermal Image by EIMI Heat Protection and Styling Spray. Use this on wet hair to make your blow-dry faster, thanks to its second solution that helps smooth your hair as you go, working as a styler to achieve optimal results more quickly whilst preventing any frizz that may be caused by humidity for the rest of the day. Shake and use another spray on dry hair, focusing towards the ends of the hair, and comb through once more if using any styling tools using concentrated heat like curling wands or straighteners.
Protect from UV
Just because we don't feel it doesn't mean our dyed hair isn't burnt from the sun. Just like our skin, coloured hair also needs protection from the sun. Sun exposure will quickly cause hair to drop pigment by lightening it, resulting in dry, brittle ends with dramatically faded hair colour that's sometimes impossible to resurrect.
Consider applying a leave-in conditioner with UV protection like the Wella Professionals INVIGO UV Hair UV Protect Spray and comb through your dyed hair when damp and again once dried before stepping out in the sun.
During Winter Months
Your dyed hair, like skin, can become chapped if exposed to cold temperatures while still damp. You may not feel its effect on the coloured hair at the time, or as you do with chapping of the skin, but you'll undoubtedly notice the effects in time. Whether you use styling tools or let it air dry, ensure it's fully dry before leaving the house.
Get Regular Trims
Regular trims are essential to maintaining vibrant dyed hair colour. Dead ends won't hold colour well, making your coloured hair look dull and lifeless. At around six weeks after your haircut, your hair will naturally split at the ends; if that split isn't trimmed when it first forms, then it will travel up the hair shaft, causing breakage further up the hair toward the root, making it frizzy, dry and unmanageable. Regular trims every 6-8 weeks will help retain its good condition and, as a result, will reflect in its ability to hold colour longer, stay shinier and be easier to manage daily.
Top tip: Rebook your next appointment before you leave the salon. That way you get the time and day that suits and you keep those colour draining splits at bay.
Avoid Chlorine and Salt Water
Chlorine and salt water can strip your dyed hair of its colour and have unwanted effects on ash blondes. When chlorine reacts with the ash tones, leaving a khaki hue on the hair, consider wearing a swimmer's cap or applying conditioner to your coloured hair before taking a dip to protect your hair from these harmful elements.
Specific Hair Colours
Blonde
Maintaining blonde-dyed hair requires extra care. Use colour-depositing conditioners and shampoos, like the INVIGO Recharge Cool Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner or Color Fresh Mask Pearl Blonde, to deposit neutralising colour pigments that keep your blonde hair care clean, fresh and vibrant whilst intensively nourishing the hair.
Brunette
Brunette-dyed hair colour requires regular shampoo and conditioner formulated for brown hair. Also, consider a deep conditioner once weekly to hydrate the brown hair care. For t,he best results, schedule an in-between colour visit for an express glossing treatment or a quick fix at home; use Chocolate Touch Colour Fresh Mask for colour refreshment.
Red
Due to its pigment structure, red-dyed hair tends to be more delicate and prone to fading than other hair colours. Whether you're a coppery red or a deep auburn, Maintaining red hair requires some intensive extra care, but the results are worth it. Opting for regular at-home use of colour-depositing conditioners like Color Recharge Conditioner at home and in-salon services like an Express Glossing Service is an effective and affordable option to recharge your hairs vibrancy and shine.
Maintaining the optimal condition of your coloured hair is crucial to preventing colour fading. Nourishment for your hair means healthy hair that holds hair colour better for longer, making it look more vibrant and shiny. Regularly using the right conditioners, hair masks, heat protectants, and leave-in sprays can help maintain your coloured hair's good condition, thus preserving your colour.
Understanding the Colouring Proces
Hair colouring offers a versatile way to express personal style, but maintaining the vibrancy and softness of coloured hair is essential. Drawing on expert insights from Dawson Hair & Imaging and Wella Professionals, this comprehensive guide is designed to navigate the colour treatment process, providing practical hair-care tips and featuring premium salon-exclusive products for at-home use. The goal is to ensure that your coloured hair remains strong, healthy, and radiant while retaining its brilliance and lustre. Prepare to embark on a vivid journey across the spectrum.
The Initial Step
The initial step in preserving dyed hair is comprehending the colour treatment process. When hair is dyed, peroxide causes the cuticle layer to open, enabling the colour molecules to permeate the hair shaft. This alteration in the hair's chemical state necessitates a modified care routine for coloured hair compared to virgin hair with permanent colour.